Midnight Blossoms
by SunflowerHikari
Summary: The Golden Trio is back to their misadventures only this time to find a mysterious plant, Ignem Terrae, in Romania that could cure patients like Neville's parents. With Neville leading the way plus Luna and Charlie helping them along with... Draco? They are sure to have interesting conflicts...and who is this mysterious girl who guards the plant? Rated M!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello! I must say that I wouldn't have been able to come up with this plot if it wasn't for my friend helping me go through ideas! I'm not quite used to writing, but I wanted to give it all a shot :) please let me know if there is any mistakes, I'll go ahead and fix them. Also, I would appreciate your input :)**

**This is intended to be a mature set of work (with violence, action, sex, the whole shebang) so please be wary of that as you read. I will be placing warnings before any raunchy scenes ;) **

**The characters and pairings are a bit out of context, but I always fancy different things with them. It keeps my love for Harry Potter alive!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter... (I long to though) just this story :3**

**Enjoy! ^-^ and R&R while you're at it ;)**

**xoxo- SunflowerHikari**

* * *

_**Chapter 1~**_

It was late in the evening and Hermione could feel her stomach start to fuss with hunger. She ignored the pains, since her eyes were glued on an ancient piece of parchment that the Ministry had her go over. Thanks to her rune deciphering and arithmancy talents, she was an excellent addition to the Mystery department. They had been longing for a brain like hers and she was able to prove it during the war.

She was sure the text was written more than seven centuries ago. Only a few pieces have been written in this type of writing, they clearly didn't have a given alphabet to go by, since symbols were thrown in there sporadically. The elegance of them all could pass as a picture, which was how the text was found. It was a long parchment, about a meter long. She had found herself frustrated with it for the past couple of days, almost as though she was trying to unscramble someone's complicated thoughts from centuries ago.

She had discovered that it was about a plant, a plant she has never heard of, a plant they referred to as a "fire within the earth". She noted that they wrote of the mind and how the plant can affect it through two different potions. Currently, she was trying to decipher what the two potions were. The complexity of them both made her mind begin to hum with frustration.

As Hermione ran her fingers across the text, she noticed the words underneath her ring finger purred and twisted from along the paper, a quizzical expression was marked on her face. The words and symbols for the first potion changed right in front of her to plain and simple English words. She slid her eyes over the paper as she read:

**_The Rejuvenation of Senses and Memory_**

_After the constant use of the newly discovered Cruciato curse, my mother has invented a potion to renew my father's lost sense of mind. After 8 years of heartbreaking days with him not recognizing his own family and a face of a stranger, he awoke after taking the potion (which put him to sleep for a good 5 hours or so) with eyes that weren't at all empty. Tears coated all of our eyes, but not nearly enough as my mother's. Her smile returned and so did our dignity after the attack by dark wizards._

_To continue her experiment concerning the potion, we tried it on a number of people also affected by the curse and backfired memory charms. After they slept, they all returned to their regular state of mind. Years after the potion was administered, they were still healthy and happy, with unwavering thoughts._

Hermione felt her heart thumping behind her chest, thinking of Neville and his parents and of course Gilderoy Lockhart. She read the complex ingredients and procedure of the potion, which contained the infamous plant.

"_This could save them_," she thought excitedly to herself. Needing to slow down her adrenaline, she took short break to calm her nerves and drank a cool glass of water. Before she told anyone, she knew she had to decipher the second potion.

Her fingers ran along the edge of the title, a shiver going up her arm and down her back. A terrible feeling went through her and chilled her bones. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain at the tip of her middle finger and noticed as a drop of blood dripped on to the text.

Her worried lips started to utter a curse, but she found herself gasping instead. The blood was gone, and the harsh lines moved in a similar manner to the first potion. She clutched the seat and sat forward, reading the title:

**_The Absorption of Thoughts and Abilities_**

_The success of our healing potion travelled far and wide, across many wizarding nations. We instantly came upon riches that we never dreamed of. To spread the potion making, we allowed others to begin growing our beloved plant, Ignem Terrae. Of course, it wasn't long until hands of the dark got ahold of it. Before we knew it, there was a second potion going around that contained the roots of the plant. The roots were considered to be the most potent part of the plant, and my mother chose to stay away from them. She only used the leaves, knowing fully well how hard it was to grow this rare breed of a plant._

_The potion we heard of was being to manipulate others. A powerful wizard by the name of Paulo Noir was somehow gaining magical abilities he never possessed before. Other famous wizards and witches were found dead with the muscles of their bodies gone – leaving only the skin and bones. Their eyes would be gone, and their lips turned black. When you touched a corpse, your own skin would instantly begin to burn._

_Paulo had developed a potion, full of dark magic, that would take down the boundaries of someone's abilities and thoughts and he transferred it to himself through an incantation that he had also invented. All he had to do was invite them to take a sip from a glass of wine containing the potion, and it began to burn their insides. As the flesh inside them crumbled away, he quickly transferred the contents of the person's mind and abilities (which usually came out in a vapor form from the victim's mouth) into a flask._

_He kept the most important abilities and took them for himself and gained an army by promising his new followers the rest._

_Soon followed a mass murder throughout Romania, as he tried to control power. After a decade of brutal crimes and broken souls, the wizards throughout the world joined __forces against him and his army. The war ended after five torturous years. My mother is long gone at this point, and the Parasca family made a vow to guard this plant and its two outcomes._

_The relinquishment of the good is necessary for the bad to be retained._

* * *

Hermione sank further into her chair. It was nearly morning and her mind was still buzzing. There were so many good things about finding this mysterious plant, yet the way it had been used for bad intentions made her recoil. She didn't want to experience what she had experienced five years ago. She knew that Hogwarts' reconstruction had just finished in the spring and the new students had started their first time at the beginning of this month. She had celebrated her 23rd birthday a week ago with Harry, Neville, Ginny, Luna, and Ronald.

_Ronald_

Her heart clutched against her chest as she thought of her dear friend. But, that's all he was to her, just a friend. Their relationship started out wonderful, full of repressed sexual tension between the two. After two long years, the fighting began. It got to the point where Hermione sat on the floor crying, her cheek bleeding from an object Ron threw, and him trying to comfort her.

She remembered his voice shaking and tears falling down her shoulder as he apologized over and over. It was in that moment, they decided that to save any type of connection between themselves, they shouldn't stay in a relationship. Hermione left their shared apartment and housed with Ginny for a short time soon after.

They remained friends, not as close as before, but at least it was civilized. Ron had recently started to date Daphne Greengrass and Hermione was...still single. She put her thoughts on her work and thought about Ignem Terrae. She wondered if there were any other texts that had any information on this...

Hermione stood up, with the most brilliant idea that just popped into her mind.

_Neville!_

* * *

"Hermiiooooone?" Neville unsuccessfully stifled his yawn. He currently faced her in the doorway of his apartment. She had heavy bags under her eyes, yet her eyes were full of excitement.

"Ignem Terrae, have you heard of it?"

"Hermione, it's 6 in the morning, do we really have to bloody talk abo-"

"Have. You. Heard. Of. It?" Hermione pressed him, her teeth clenched. She stepped forward and he resigned by letting her in. She walked past him into his living room, smelling the fresh flowers he had put out weekly on the coffee table. "What flowers are these?"

"It's a type of crocus. Beauty, isn't it?" he said, a smile breaking out on his face. Hermione was always making sure she knew about the flowers he put out on display. Not only did he have flowers, but also different types of herbs and plants that were scattered around the tiny apartment. He was in training to take over Professor Sprout's job at Hogwarts and was planning on finishing his training in the next two years. "So, how did you discover Ignem Terrae? It's quite rare, you know. I've only found about two passages on it out of the multiple collections of books and texts I've read on plants."

"The Ministry asked me to decipher this one text and it is focused on that very plant. In fact, it also contained two potions that seem to be unknown."

"Yes, now that you mention it, I think I may have heard of potions using this plant. But, rumor has it that the potions don't actually exist, some people even acknowledge it as a myth." Neville sat there looking at her curiously. His head turned thoughtfully towards his room and he held up a single finger indicating he needed a minute. She nodded and watched as he started to walk towards the back of the apartment towards his room. Hermione heard as he opened the door and close it. She sighed, and sat down in the velvet burgundy armchair that Harry and Ginny had given him for his birthday two years ago. She heard the door open again after five minutes and watched as Neville walked out from the hallway carrying a giant textbook.

"Come to the table with me." He motioned towards the kitchen with his head and she got to her feet to follow him. He laid the ancient book, designed with an array of spiraling vines and flowers, on the breakfast table and carefully flipped to a page towards the middle. "Ah, here it is. Ignem Terrae!" he exclaimed, as he pulled her towards the book. She found the words quickly and skimmed the small passage.

_Ignem Terrae_

_Known as "the fire in the earth", it is a rare plant found somewhere in Romania. Only two potions are made using this plant, although no one is quite sure of what they are. They are infamously known as the Potions of Eradication and Creation, which have been rumored to affect the mind. The Parasca family, who has not released the information of the location of the plant for several centuries, heavily protects Ignem Terrae. It has been established that the two potions have been erased from history and only their rumored existence remains._

Hermione read the passage three times. She looked up at Neville, who was waiting patiently for her to reveal her findings.

"See, not much has been revealed about it."

"Neville, I want you to sit down." Hermione said, while placing her hand on his shoulder and pushing him back into a chair.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking puzzled, a smile etched on his face.

She took in a breath, "Neville, this potion… The potion of creation… Or as it's called in the text I read as _The Rejuvenation of Senses and Memory_," she felt her nerves starting to act up with excitement, "well, Neville, I think it can help cure people who have been affected by the Cruciato curse."

She watched as Neville's smile disappeared immediately, along with the color of his face.

"Excuse me, I have to-" he pushed past her towards the sink and began to heave away last night's dinner.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's Chapter 2! I personally had a lot of fun writing this :3 And if you get the chance, a review would be nice ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not, indeed, own any of the characters from Harry Potter. I am just asking them to do my evil bidding.**

* * *

Harry lay in bed, staring at the figure next to him. He saw a tussle of red hair sticking out of the sheets and let out a heavy sigh. Even though she was close to him at the moment, Ginny felt so far away. He knew that their relationship was hanging on a thread. She had recently gotten an offer to try out for the Holyhead Harpies, which he knew she was going to get; she was naturally a talented Quidditch player. He also knew that Oliver Wood was the new captain; he was the one who owled her asking if she would be willing to give the tryout a shot.

Harry remembered how the green-eyed monster in him came out as he watched Ginny and Oliver together at the tryouts. Their body movements seemed to flow and he could feel a connection between the two. He didn't know if Oliver and Ginny met any other time before, but he had the strangest feeling that they had. Harry and Ginny didn't have that sort of spark anymore, and it made him frustrated.

"Mmm… Harry?" Ginny mumbled, she turned around to face him. She stifled a yawn and gave him a small smile. He looked in to her eyes and noticed that his stomach didn't do a flip. They weren't a warm caramel color to him anymore; they were just a regular light brown. He gave her a meek smile in return, but then it turned in to a frown.

"Ginny?" he asked, feeling his heart tremble underneath him.

"Mhm?" she said, stretching her arms up and sat up in bed along with him.

"Do you still get flips in your stomach when you see me?"

Her eyes looked at him with shock and then she dropped her head.

"Why are you asking this…?" she mumbled. He took a long breath in and then let it out.

"I was just thinking about the way you are with Wood." He muttered. Her eyes opened instantly.

"Have you been reading my letters?" she asked, sitting up in bed. She was biting her bottom lip – something she did when she was nervous – but her eyes were full of fire.

"Letters? Wh-what letters?" Harry sputtered out, his heart was racing and his stomach was gripping tighter with every single movement Ginny did. She blushed and stepped out of the bed, a loose Gryffindor shirt flowed over her body barely covering her knickers.

"No-nothing, Har-"

"Have you been seeing Woods?" He felt his temper rising.

"Harry, I just made a big deal out of nothi-"

"It's a simple yes or no question!" Harry yelled at her, gripping the sheets in his hand. She glared at him, a fire blazing in her eyes, and turned her back to him.

"You're being ridiculous, go back to bed! You need to clear your head." Her arms crossed across her huffing chest. He stared at her feeling strangely enraged with a sick feeling tossing around in his stomach. He got out of the bed, throwing the sheets off of him, and placed his hot feet on the cold floor.

"Ginny, for Merlin's sake, tell me yes or no." Harry was seething. He saw red and he couldn't breathe properly. His nails dug into his palm as he watched Ginny stare back at him. She then looked at the ground.

"Yes, Harry, I've been seeing Oliver." She said through her teeth as she looked over her shoulder, fighting back tears. Harry couldn't breathe anymore. His chest tightened and his knees were weak.

"How-how long?" He asked, staring at the top of her flaming hair.

"For the past 3 months or so," she turned her head towards the door, "I was going to break it off with him, but…"

"But?! But WHAT!?" Harry screamed as he walked toward hers and grabbed hold of her shoulders, "if you wanted to be with him, why couldn't you have broken things off with me! Stop me from feeling this pain! I would have understood!"

"NO! No, you wouldn't have!" She screeched back at him. Her eyes met his; she shrugged his hands away from her. "You are always gone, Harry! I wanted you, but you are too busy for me! Other people get to see you more than your own girlfriend! Oliver gave me the time and consideration and those were the only things I wanted from you!" she said, poking him in the chest. "It wasn't supposed to go farther than just being friends, but he got under my skin! He filled my void!"

"Yeah, I bet he was filling your void!" Harry raged at her. He could feel warm blood sliding down his fingers. "You knew I was going to be busy! I'm an auror in training, for crying out loud! I warned you! I told you if you couldn't handle it, then just go on with your life!" He cried, falling on his knees. He looked up to her, feeling his heart rip apart as she glared down at him.

"You're such an ignorant arse. All you care about is yourself and everyone else's needs but mine." She hissed. His breath was faltering and he was starting to see dots. _This isn't happening._ "I wanted to stay with you because I loved you! I thought everything was going to be sunshine and rainbows with Harry fuckin' Potter, like they always are! How was I supposed to know you were going to just shut yourself off…" she said, as angered voice became soft. He looked up at her face and tears were falling down her face.

"I'm so-sorry, Ginny. I didn't think something like this would ha-happen." He trembled.

"Me neither, but..."

"But what?"

Ginny took in a deep breath. "I think I'm pregnant."

Harry's ears buzzed. He recalled the last time they had sex was about two months ago. "How far along are you?" he dreaded asking.

"I didn't get my period two weeks ago." She whispered. The look in her face was full of remorse and sympathy. Harry was done, his heart had turned to dust and he wasn't about to allow it to get swept up underneath a doormat.

"Call up Woods and tell him. Right now. Or else I will, and he won't be able to have any more kids by the time I'm done with him." Harry said, getting up. He took his wand from the nightstand and accio'd his old school trunk on the bed. Ginny watched as his clothes drifted from the closet in and folded themselves neatly inside the trunk.

"Wh-where are you going?"

"I'm leaving, Ginny!" Harry screamed. He couldn't breathe and he felt a strong urge to throw up the contents of his stomach. His sight was full of dots and he tried to blink away the tears beginning to form.

"Where will you go?" she frowned, clutching her stomach. The action itself made his stomach do a bitter flip.

"Ron's for the time being. You're going to tell him what happened. You're going to be the one to tell everyone." He said, looking her straight in the eye. She nodded, with tears running down her face.

"Ha-harry, I'm sor-sorry." Ginny whimpered. Her harsh demeanor broke and now she was sobbing. He looked at her and felt nothing but rage. He shook his head and tried to will himself to calm down.

"Goodbye. I'll be back later to pick up the rest of my stuff. I'll owl you the day and time." He closed his trunk full of all his necessities and grasped his wand. He looked directly into her eyes. "I hope your child has your hair. That's what I wanted if we had kids." Harry said softly. She let out a sob with wide eyes and watched as Harry apparated away.

* * *

Neville and Hermione were sitting in solemn silence. Neville stopped throwing up about thirty minutes ago and Hermione was able to convince him to drink some tea.

"Well," Neville said, breaking the silence, "what should we do about this now?" He looked at Hermione and she looked back at him.

"I told you both the good and bad of the plant, what is your opinion?"

"Hermione, you know my opinion is going to be biased." Neville looked at her as she nodded her head. "I mean, my mum and dad… I had to go through life with them there but they weren't there at the same time. I remember going to the hospital and just trying to make my mum realize who I am, to try and recognize her own son."

Neville traced the rim of his mug and Hermione resisted the urge to place her hand over his. She remembered seeing him with his parents during their fifth year, he had never spoken of them previously and seemed a bit ashamed of them.

Suddenly, they heard two pops in the living room.

"Neville! We have an emergency! Come take out your special brewed firewh- Hermione? What are you doing here?" Ron's panic vanished as he smiled at her the moment he popped his head into the kitchen. She started to smile at him, until she saw the gloomy character behind him.

"Harry? What's wrong?" she jumped up and rushed over to her dear friend. Harry gave her a small smile. She noticed his red eyes and the blood on his hands. "Did… Did you get into a fight…?"

"Sort of," Harry mumbled, sitting down right next to Neville.

Ron leaned towards Hermione and gave her a serious look. "He broke things off with Ginny this morning." He awkwardly said. She turned her head towards Harry.

"Hermione, could you stop looking at me like you've just experienced a murder. I'm fine." Harry snapped at her. She knitted her eyebrows together before flicking her wand towards the kitchen.

"Ron, would you like tea?"

"Yes please, just milk in mine." He sat down across from Neville and looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What's got your knickers in a bunch?"

"Ronald!"

"What!? Everyone is looking so depressed, I'm not the one who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he grumbled to himself, "I was actually sleeping quite bloody well, until this bumbling heart broken fool came over to wake me up," Harry looked at Ron with piercing eyes and Ron smiled smugly back at him before turning his head back towards the bushy haired witch, "You, Hermione, look like you haven't slept at all."

Hermione glared at him, "Yes, I'm glad to see you too." She passed a cup of tea to Harry and set one in front of Ron before sitting down next to him.

"Really though, what's going on? Why are you here?" He studied Neville and Hermione. "Wait, don't tell me…Oh Merlin."

"What?" Neville asked, puzzled by Ron's gaping mouth.

"Don't tell me you knocked her up."

Harry started to choke on his drink and turned a brilliant shade of red. "Ron, shut the fuck up." He said, glaring at him.

"What! What's wrong? Will you finally tell me what the hell happened betwe-"

"Ginny will tell you, now shut it."

Ron slumped back in his chair. "Honestly, Ron. Your assumptions aren't helping." Hermione smirked at him. He smirked back and took a sip of his tea.

They all sat quietly, before Harry broke the silence. "Why are you here though, Hermione?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. She was about to speak, but Neville was the one to answer.

"She found a potion that could cure my parents from their insanity."

Ron was the one to choke this time. "What!?" he exclaimed, spitting out tea. Neville quickly performed the Scourgify spell, before he started to gag again.

Harry gaped at her and she nodded. Neville gave her a look and she began to explain her findings. After many questions between the three boys and even her, they came to the conclusion that the Minister of Magic should be informed about the mysterious plant at once.

* * *

"Do you think he's actually in?" Hermione worried, the four of them had apparated to the Ministry of Magic and were currently in the lift that brought them to the multiple floors of the underground office.

"Why wouldn't he be in? It's almost 10 o' clock on a Tuesday morning." Ron said, trying to reassure his friend. Harry walked solemnly between them and Neville was behind them, holding the parchment as though it was his child. They had just reached the floor where the Minister's office was located and they found themselves in front of his receptionist.

"Name your business, please." She said, giving each of them a cautious look.

"Hello Gertrude, I'm here to talk to the Minister about that parchment I picked up from him about three weeks ago." Hermione said, giving her a bright smile.

"You've been working on it for three weeks?" Ron whispered in amazement. Hermione elbowed his chest.

"Ah, yes. You may go in." Gertrude said, recognizing Hermione. She watched as the rest of them walked away with narrowed eyes.

As they entered, they saw Kingsley sitting at his desk. He was looking over some papers, a pair of spectacles sat on the bridge of his nose. He noticed all of them at once and gave them a grand smile.

"What a pleasant surprise! What brings you guys over here? Business, perhaps?" his eyes twinkled towards Hermione. She gave him a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello Kingsley, how are you?"

"Oh, I've been better. It's been hard, you know? Things are starting to look up now that Hogwarts is back in session, but it is still a slow process." He told them, his face now held a weary expression. The four of them felt sympathy; they have also had a hard time adjusting after the war. Hermione nodded, "Kingsley, I have something to make it better." She said, grinning like Cheshire cat. She nodded at Neville as he placed the parchment on Kingsley's desk.

"I think you better sit down," He smiled at the Minister. Looking briefly around at the four of them, Kingsley sat down, not knowing what he was about to get himself into.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, again! This chapter is a bit short because it's more of a filler chapter. But, at least I updated right? **

**Disclaimer: If I ever own the rights to Harry Potter anything, can you please let me know?**

* * *

**Chapter 3~**

Luna Lovegood sat at her desk, swinging her legs back and forth. A pencil was stuck behind her ear and a thick book was occupied between her delicate hands. She was currently reading _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander. She was studying the book with a fascinating interest and was making corrections every so often.

Although, to her dismay, not all of the known creatures her father had told her of were to be found in the book. _That's fine_, she thought to herself, _I'll just include them when I write my own text on creatures. _

She was studying to become a Magizoologist and planned on joining the Beast branch in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. There was just one problem she faced; she could not find an appropriate internship. It was standard to go through an internship before she could join the Ministry, yet she could not find one that fit her needs.

She did not want to study about dragons or unicorns, everyone knew about those creatures. She wanted to shadow someone who appreciated the Crumple-Horned Snorkack or Nargles – the creatures the magical world really needed to learn about.

It was hard though, she sighed thinking of all the people who laughed in her face and called her a lunatic. _They are the lunatics_ she smirked to herself.

Suddenly, she heard a tapping on her window. She smiled as she opened it to reveal a beautiful gray horned owl. She petted the owl tenderly and fed him a treat before she unwrapped the letter from his leg. He gave her a hoot and flew over to her desk, meaning she was supposed to write a response back.

She hummed to herself as she unwrapped the letter and read the neatly written note.

_Dear Luna, we would love it if you could meet us in the Minister's office tomorrow at 1 pm. We have a proposition to go over with you. –Hermione_

Luna smiled as she wrote a whimsical _I'll be there_ on the back of the parchment, and retied it to the owl's leg – making sure it got enough treats to eat before flying off. It's been awhile since she saw her group of friends – everyone has been going on with their life and doing their own thing. It would be nice to see them once again.

She noticed that it was lunchtime, and went into the kitchen to fill her stomach with something delicious.

A pop sound came from her living room, and she heard Ginny call out her name.

"Ginny?" Luna asked, walking towards the room. She found Ginny standing in the middle, with red splotches over her face.

"Lu-Luna, I screwed everything u-up." She whimpered, walking towards Luna's open arms. Ginny told her of the morning's events with Harry and Luna felt her heart tighten up, hearing about how Ginny treated Harry. She didn't know why she felt angry towards her friend, but she knew what she did was wrong. She also felt something else.

"Ginny, why didn't you end things earlier, like when you and Oliver started to mess around?" Luna said, looking at the redhead with sympathy. Ginny gave a shrug and hiccupped. She took a sip of the warm cup of milk that Luna had given her. Luna couldn't stop staring at Ginny's stomach, knowing that there was a life in there. "Have you gone to the healer's yet?"

Ginny shook her head, tears brimming along the lower lids of her eyes.

"I'm so stupid, I shouldn't have gotten involved with Oliver." She whispered, grasping hold of her stomach.

"There isn't anything wrong with him, I'm sure he'll be a wonderful father even if he is a Quidditch fanatic." Luna reassured her. "You really need to tell him right away, though…" Ginny nodded. Suddenly, her eyes shot open with terror.

"I have to tell everyone about this. They will all know I cheated on Harry. They'll all think I'm… I'm a slag…" she said in a hoarse voice, tears began to flow down her face once more.

"Well, you did cheat on Harry, Ginny"

"Luna, do you always have to be so blunt?" Ginny snapped at her old friend. Luna gave her a small smile.

"I'm sorry, I know people don't like knowing the truth. But, this is how things are, Ginny. You can't run from them."

"I know… Do you think you could come with me to Oliver's house and help me tell him?" Luna smiled at her, and took one of her hands in her own.

"Of course, I wouldn't imagine being anywhere else."

* * *

"So, what do we do?" Ron asked as they stepped into the lift. The lift wasn't empty like it was when they previously used it. Its lone occupant was a former classmate of theirs, Gregory Goyle. They all stiffened up when they saw him, yet he gave them a nod and looked away with a bored expression carved into his face. They all stepped inside, before Neville replied to Ron's previous question.

"You know he's going to want to go after the plant."

"Yes, but, there are so many risks… Especially with it being in Roman-"

"Ron, shush! We will talk about it tomorrow." Hermione glared at him and Neville, motioning her head towards Goyle. Ron rolled his eyes and mouthed the fact that he was an idiot, making Harry smack his head.

"I'm still depressed, you all need to treat me to lunch." He said promptly, ending all discussion.

They decided to go to the Leaky Cauldron, but not before Ron had to go and see his girlfriend, Daphne. She was a secretary for Ron's father – which was how they met. They made their way down to where Arthur's office was located and saw her sitting at her desk.

Although they knew Daphne Greengrass from school, they didn't really associate with her due to the fact that she was a Slytherin. Which was a shame, because she was one of the most genuine girls they had ever known.

Even though she was pureblood, her family was not involved with the Death Eaters and Voldemort's ways.

She didn't have to work if she chose; her family was built on old money. Yet, it didn't appeal to her to just sit at home or spend her days shopping. She was independent, charming, and well grounded – a perfect match for Ron.

Ron smiled as big as he could before he approached her. When she finally noticed him, she jumped out of her seat to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Hermione and Neville smiled at the adorable couple, while Harry let out an exasperated sigh. Ron quickly glared at his friend, before turning back to Daphne.

"He's a bit under the weather," he said before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Him and my sister just broke things off this morning." Daphne gasped and went to go hug Harry.

"Oh Merlin, are you okay, Harry?" she asked, allowing her dark blue eyes to study Harry's worn face.

"Yes, I'm bloody fine. Everyone is just getting on my case – no offense, Daphne."

She gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. "So, why are you guys here?"

"We had to talk to the Minister this morning, very important top secret business." Ron winked at her. She let out a giggle, which made Harry roll his eyes and Hermione elbowed his chest.

"I guess that means I get to hear about it all tonight, you didn't forget about our date, right?"

Ron turned red, "No! I would never forget, darling." He said, trying to cover his forgetfulness. She smiled at him, knowing full well that he did.

"Good, I want something fancy," She hinted, smiling smugly at his drooping face, "Now I'll see you all later, have a great day!" she said, before kissing Ron and sitting back down at her workplace.

They left the office to go to the Leaky Cauldron, which wasn't packed due to it being a weekday. Once they got their food from Tom, the innkeeper, Hermione made sure to place a Muffliato charm around them.

"Just like old times, eh?" Ron said, before taking a bite out of his sandwich. Harry couldn't help but give a little smile and dug into his food himself.

"So, what do you guys propose we do? What should our plan be for the meeting tomorrow?" Hermione asked, while picking at her own sandwich.

"I think going for the plant is the best way. It would be in secret, of course. Also, maybe we should try to find someone of the Parasca family in Romania?" Neville suggested. Out of the four of them, Neville was the one who gained the most out of the war. He grew a backbone and began to speak his own mind. They all knew if Neville was giving his input, he truly thought it over and meant it.

They knew he was right, that this plant would revolutionize so much and they would need to find someone who was connected to it if they were to ever find it. After a long discussion during lunch, they went back to their homes to spend the rest of the day thinking of what to bring up at tomorrow's meeting.

* * *

Kingsley sat at his desk. His four visitors were long gone, leaving him to think about what they just told him. A plan was forming in his mind; he came to the conclusion that he needed to obtain that plant. If they did, they would be able to cure so many of the fallen victims of the war. Those whose minds were harmed under the effects of not only the Cruciato curse, but also the Imperio curse and any backfired memory charms.

Although, he was fearful of what could happen if the plant got into the wrong hands. He shuddered to think that someone could take your magical abilities and skills, while leaving your body as an empty vessel. It would have to be kept top secret and guarded extremely well.

He also realized that many of the old Death Eaters ran off to Romania to avoid getting captured. Letting out a heavy sigh, he began to rub his temple. He needed someone he could trust on the inside of the Death Eaters circle, so they could avoid any conflicts and get the plant safely back to the Ministry in London. Maybe if he had a shot of firewhiskey, the answer would come to him.

* * *

**There you have it! Reviews make the world go round and make me write faster!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry, it's been awhile since I've updated! I was trying to make it long enough and cover as much as I could so I could get the story going. Plus, college is a pain!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot and my own OC's. **

**Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

**Chapter 4~**

Luna had woken up with a headache. It wasn't terrible to be exact, but it still hurt. It hurt far more than she would have liked and she knew exactly what the cause was. No, not what. She knew exactly _who_ the cause was. She went to her cabinet where she stored her potions and found a headache one. A sigh of relief escaped her lips the moment she drank contents of the vial, washing away the pain.

Ginny spent the rest of yesterday moping about and promised she was going to go see Oliver the next morning, so she spent the night at Luna's. Luna couldn't sleep due to the fact that Ginny kept crying. And it wasn't what crying usually sounded like; it could be compared to the blubbering of a whale.

She loved her dear friend very much, but this was ridiculous. Ginny should have realized what was going to happen if she cheated on Harry. Harry wasn't the type of person to put up with that sort of behavior.

She realized she hadn't seen Harry in a long time, practically a year. It was New Years when the gang all got together and even then she barely talked to him. Not that it actually mattered.

"Good morning," Ginny mumbled, making her way into the kitchen. Luna smiled at her despite of everything; she was her best friend after all. "What time should we leave?"

"Whenever you feel comfortable, as long as it's before one."

"One? What are you doing at one?"

"Hermione asked me to go and meet her for a meeting or something, I'm not entirely sure." Luna said, wondering the exact same thing Ginny was.

"Oh, well let me just get dressed and we can leave soon. The faster I get it done, the better I think I'll feel." Ginny said, trying to sound hopeful even though Luna could hear her voice break. She grabbed Ginny's hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It'll be fine. I'm going to be here for you." Tears started to brim along Ginny's eyes again and she pulled Luna into a hug, grateful for her friend.

After about an hour of getting ready, they floo'd their way to Wood's flat. It was small, since he didn't stay there very often, and it was located in a wizarding community in Ireland. Ginny and Luna stood in the living room, unsure of what to do next.

"Oliver?" Luna called out, after an unsure moment of silence. Oliver soon popped his head out of the kitchen and his eyes began to sparkle the moment he saw Ginny. He was then taken aback by the serious looks on the two girls and realized something happened.

"Ginny? Luna? What happened? Why are you guys here?" he asked, walking forward and grabbed Ginny's arms in a comforting way.

"Oliver, I think we should all sit down." Luna suggested, pointing towards the sofa. He nodded and took Ginny's hand, pulling her to go and sit down. Ginny's face blanched as she sat down. Luna sat down, crossing her leg over her other, and wore an amused expression on her face. Oliver obviously had strong feelings for Ginny, she noted from the way he looked at her. "Ginny, you should go and tell him now."

"Tell me what? What should you tell me, Ginny?" he asked, terror in his words.

"O-Oliver, umm, this is hard to say." She struggled for the words to come out, he took her face in his hands and forced her head to turn and look at him.

"It's okay, I'm here, love." Ginny smiled and began to sob. Oliver pulled her close, looking at Luna with his brows knitted in confusion.

"I don't know what happened, but… but… I'm having a baby." Ginny managed to say, after taking a few deep breaths through her sobbing. It was Oliver's turn to look pale. He pulled her away from her and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Who's the father?" he demanded.

"Y-you are…" she whispered. He pulled away from her and stepped back to look at her, moving his eyes back and forth between her splotchy face and small stomach.

"I'm going to be a dad?" he said in disbelief. She nodded and stood up in a quick manner.

"I'm so sorry for everything, I-I didn't mean to take up your time. We'll just go…"

"No! No, stay. Please." Oliver said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. Ginny lost it and began to sob even harder into his chest.

"Well, this is where I take my leave," Luna said in an airy voice, "Oliver, if you hurt her, I'll make sure that your boys will never produce again." She told him casually, giving him a mystical smile. Oliver's eyes grew big and he nodded, watching her apparate away.

* * *

Draco felt comfortable in the silence of his kitchen. His callused hands were wrapped around a warm mug of coffee and he could feel the sun's rays hitting his back. He found these small moments of content his greatest pleasure because they rarely occurred. He closed his eyes and took a sip, only to have the silence break from a tapping on the window. He turned around to face an owl and his face formed into a scowl for he knew exactly whom that owl belonged to. It was the minister's owl.

* * *

Neville was nervous. He couldn't eat breakfast and he doubt he could even manage a bite for lunch. He was waiting in his living room for the other three before heading over to the Ministry. His nerves were a wreck and he couldn't fathom what he had learned in the past 24 hours. He kept thinking back to his parents and the many years that they've lost out on in life.

The families who were affected by the war could also find some sort of relief. Many were tortured and had lost their right state of mind, from what Neville saw as he met with some of the victims after the war. He knew that Ollivander had trouble remembering most of his wand making techniques, which forced him to stop working. Hermione confessed to him that her dreams were plagued with death and torture. She has had trouble sleeping ever since her encounter with Bellatrix and she couldn't bare to look at the scar that was left on her arm. And those were just the people he had close relations to.

_POP_

Neville suddenly noticed three figures in front of him. Harry was still in a sour mood; he looked as though he didn't get any sleep. Ron was cheerful and smiling, a sandwich seemed to be in his hand. Hermione's hair was smoother than yesterday and he noticed that her eyes didn't have their dark shadows underneath them and her face had a determined look.

"Ready?" Hermione asked. Neville smiled at the trio and nodded. They planned on walking to there since he didn't live too far away. As they left his flat, he turned to Harry.

"How are you hanging, Harry?" Neville asked. Harry scowled at the question.

"I've been better, honestly." He stated. Neville noticed how tense he was and decided not to push him. They walked in silence for about 10 minutes before they reached the magical telephone booth. Ron put in the code on the dial box and took the last bite of his sandwich, before they found themselves at Ministry.

They made their way to the lift, which contained a smiling Luna.

"Luna!" Hermione greeted her as the two girls hugged. "Oh, I'm so glad you could make it."

"Of course, I would never let down any members of DA." Luna replied. She quickly hugged Ron and Neville and before she hugged Harry, she gave him a knowing look. "Harry, I do feel sorry about the sudden pregnancy between Ginny and Oliver. If you need any help, I can always make you a tea that gets rid of heartbreak."

"Ginny did WHAT!?" the three exclaimed, making Luna looked puzzled. Harry pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Now is not the time, focus on the damn mission." He snapped at them. They held their tongue and Luna just stood next to him, beginning to hum a catchy tune. Once the lift made it's way to the office, they all got off. Hermione warily looked at an annoyed Harry and marched forward and the four followed after her.

"Luna, we will explain once we are inside the office." Hermione said, as she smile and waved at the receptionist. Luna simply nodded and continued to hum, looking around the hall.

Neville knocked on the door and Kingsley opened it.

"Come in, come in! Hello Luna, good to see you. Let me just get some chairs for you all." With a wave of his wand, he summoned six chairs.

"Umm, Kingsley, there is only five of us?" Hermione questioned as she looked at the chairs.

"Yes, I'm expecting someone else to come." Kingsley smiled at her as he sat down behind his desk.

"Who?" Ron asked, puzzled. Suddenly the door opened with a loud bang.

"There better be a fucking good reason why I'm here, Kingsley. I'm tired of being your little bitch." Draco Malfoy sneered from the open doorway. He then paled as he saw the others in the room. Before he could turn around, he was forced to stay inside as the door locked behind him.

"If we need to make this work, we will need him." Kingsley said with a smile on his face and his wand in his hand. Hermione gaped at him, wondering what he was on. Ron wasn't sure whether to scowl at Malfoy or at Kingsley. Neville froze in his seat, staring with a paled expression at Draco. Draco's eyes were wide open; he looked at everyone's faces with an increased fear. Luna stood by Kingsley's desk, playing with a magical paperweight that seemed to change colors and sizes with each touch. Harry was in a rage.

"Why the hell is he here, Kingsley?!" He yelled, cutting through the silence. Draco's scowl returned to his face and he charged at Harry and grabbed his shirt.

"You better shut up, Potter. It's not like I want to fucking be here in the first place!"

Harry pushed his hand away. "Don't fucking touch me, Malfoy." He seethed out through his teeth. Suddenly, an invisible force pulled both boys to the opposite sides of the room.

"You both need to calm down," Hermione reprimanded them, the boys glared at her as she rolled her eyes. "If we want this plan to work, we need to trust every single person in this room!"

"You're mental!" Ron argued, "I will not trust Malfoy!" Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Neville cut her off.

"Hermione, maybe we should hear why Kingsley asked him to be here today." He quietly suggested from his seat. Hermione nodded reluctantly and let the boys go. They all looked at Kingsley.

"Well, we've tried to keep this under the radar, but many of your previous classmates have fled to Romania, with Death Eater like intentions." He informed them. With a heavy sigh, he sat down at his desk. "Of course, Mr. Malfoy here has been keeping me up to date with what goes on with them. It's one of the reasons he isn't in Azkaban at the moment." They all looked at Draco Malfoy. His hair was still a pure white blonde, yet he looked as though he's been dulled down. He was nothing but skin and bones, his own clothes hung loosely on him. He had a hallow look about him, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

Hermione really looked at his attire and noticed that although they looked nice at first glance, they appeared to have holes in them. She noticed his shoes were scuffed and she found herself looking into his cold, grey eyes.

"Like what you see, Granger?" he sarcastically remarked.

"So, he's a spy?" she asked Kingsley, ignoring Malfoy's remarks. She down next to Luna and the other boys followed after her.

"Yes, he has been for the past four years or so. Although, we caught most of them, a lot of the younger ones ran off. Most of them scared, yet I believe they are up to something over there."

"Well, maybe they know about the plant too?" Ron suggested.

"I don't believe they know about the plant, but they know about that infamous potion that was used a long time ago by someone almost as terrible as Voldemort. Just like was written in the parchment that Hermione found." Kingsley said.

"What are you all going on about?" Draco asked. He felt as though he deserved to be informed of what was going on.

"I've been working on this piece of parchment and trying to decode it for the past month or so," Hermione explained, "Once I did, I learned that it was about this mysterious plant found in Romania. The plant is so far known to be found in two different potions."

"One of those potions can cure those whose mindset have been tempered with." Neville cut in. Draco look confused.

"What do you mean tempered with?" He asked.

"Say if someone was tortured by the Cruciato curse and they lost their mind, they could drink this and the mind heals itself." Neville informed him, knowing full well that Draco would connect the two pieces together.

"Oh, so this is all for Longbottom then?" Draco scowled.

"No, it's also for others who have had their mind or memory messed with." Hermione argued.

"So, it's also for that idiot Gilderoy, then." He smirked as he watched her blush with rage.

"He is not an idiot!" Hermione defended. Ron, Neville, and Harry all rolled their eyes at her.

"He was an idiot, Hermione, and you know it." Harry said, remembering his experiences with the raving blonde lunatic. Hermione crossed her arms and huffed in her chair.

"Anyways, if this plant is so wonderful, why don't you go and grab it already and cure the whole world and get another Order of Merlin, Potter." Malfoy smirked at him. Harry clutched the seat and looked forward, trying to calm himself down. He knew that if he wanted things to work, he would need to get along with everyone, including Malfoy.

"Well, there is also something bad about it though, isn't there?" Luna asked, speaking for the first time.

"Why would you assume that?" Hermione asked, giving her friend a curious look.

"Because everything good comes with something bad. The bad must outweigh the good, if it was hidden for all this time." Luna deducted, looking off into the distance. They all stared at Luna, forgetting how good of an observer she is.

"Wait, does this have something to do with… Oh, what the bloody hell is his name. I know Nott mentioned him once. It started with P – like Paulo something." Malfoy thought, with his head in his hands.

"Paulo Noir?" Hermione eagerly asked. Draco looked up at her, thinking about the name a bit more.

"Yes, yes I think that was it. Nott and Zabini read about him in this one dark arts book. What he did was absolutely insane." Draco said, his face looking sullen.

"What are they trying to do that involves him?" Neville asked. Draco looked uneasy and stared at Kingsley, before standing up.

"All I know of him is that he would steal someone's… magical abilities or so. He became quite powerful even though he grew up quite the loser." Draco said, looking at everyone. "Do you understand the appeal of that? All you need to do is slip a bit of potion in someone's drink and his or her abilities are yours. The only reason Voldemort didn't bother looking to make it was becau-"

"Because he believed he had the greatest of all abilities." Harry finished for him. Draco looked into his eyes and gave him a thoughtful nod.

"So, Nott and Zabini want to start what he finished?" Ron asked.

"Not really, they grew up in someone's shadow all their lives. And it's not just them, it's most of my previous classmates who wish to gain some sort of power and respect. Especially since their family has put them in a bad light." Draco said with disgust.

"So, they are looking to make the potion because they want to be acknowledged." Luna stated.

"Basically, but that's not only it. They also want revenge. They grew up with darkness and they have learned from the mistakes of their parents'. They feel as though they could do a better job at proving who is the alpha dog, so to speak. The hatred that grows within them is something that was well tended to from the moment they were born."

"That's terrible, why can't we just help them out?" Hermione said, full of sympathy.

"Because everyone in the wizarding world will never forgive them for what happened. It's the same for me. We are all hated for the rest of our lives and our children's lives" Draco scoffed and snapped at her. She looked away, acknowledging the truth in his statement.

"This is all so stupid. I just thought it was going to be a simple go there, get the plant without any trouble, and come back here and cure people and it'll make all the bloody problems better." Ron groaned into his hands. The room grew silent as all of them were processing all that was just said. The information they just learned would change what they had previously planned.

"Well, Malfoy, I guess we have one thing to ask you." Harry said, as he stood up to face his long time school enemy.

"And what the hell is that, Potter?"

Harry calmly walked over to him and outdrew his hand.

"Are you in, or not?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! Wow, sorry it's been AGES since I've last updated. I've been busy with finals and what not, but it's finally winter break! I hope to upload as much as I can during the next few weeks :) I hope you all are having a good holiday season and please stay safe!**

**I want to give a warm thanks to night23 and redstickbonbon for reviewing :) they both wondered why Hermione would defend Lockhart and to me it was an element of things, but to summarize it all it was basically because she pitied him and knows he is helpless at the moment (poor thing).**

**Disclaimer: I do not and will not ever own anything but the darn plot... *bawls***

* * *

Draco looked at the outstretched hand and then looked back up at Harry's face. He could tell the guy in front of him was serious. He took this situation seriously and he was willing to put his feelings for Draco aside so they could go through with this. And Draco wasn't going to allow him to act like the mature one here. Hell, if anything Draco knew he was more mature than the 'Chosen One'. He took the hand in his and gave it a firm shake. A smirk formed on his face as he looked at the puzzled faces behind Harry. He savored the fact that Weasley was about to blow a gasket.

"Wonderful. Now, let us start this as soon as possible." Kingsley said, waving them closer to him. "I was thinking we could also ask Charlie Weasley to get involved." They heard Hermione let out a small choke and focused their attention towards her.

"Charlie? As in Ron's brother, Charlie?" Hermione asked, her face looking quite pale.

"Yes, he's lived in Romania for more than a decade now, it would only seem logical to have him get involved." Kingsley said, giving her a quizzical look. He soon put the pieces together that perhaps something personal happened between the two from the way she looked nervous at the mention of seeing Charlie again.

"But, I thought that is why we are taking Luna. She spent at least two years there and knows the area quite well. Charlie… He… He has a job there! So, he's probably extremely busy." Hermione hastily said while wringing her hands out in a nervous matter.

"Charlie wouldn't have any trouble getting time off, Hermione." Ron looked at Hermione suspiciously. "Plus, he knows more than Luna about Romania, I'm sure. You just don't want to see him, why is that?" He insisted. Hermione looked at him and then rid her face of any more emotions.

"I just didn't want to bother him, is all. Don't be git." She said as she smoothed out her pants and suddenly became interested with the art on the wall. Ron was puzzled, feeling a little uneasy thinking of what might have happened between his older brother and ex-girlfriend.

"Okay, so we ask Charlie to come and help us, and then what? How the fuck are we supposed to get the plant back here? We don't even know where it is or how to take it back. Magical plants are always so picky and fragile." Harry pointed out, remembering all of his classes in Herbology and the many tantalizing tasks they had to do.

"Well, we got a clue to who knows about it. The Parasca family, if I remember right. Do you know anything about them, Luna?" Neville asked the mystified blonde girl to his right. She looked thoughtfully at the ceiling, before focusing her sky blue eyes on Neville.

"I do remember this one village, where they mentioned a girl who was the last of her family. They said she was guarding something, so I wondered if she was guarding the rare scorching scullows – I heard they were found in Romania, under the guard of a family for many generations. They sound frightening, but really, they can be quite interesting pets-"

"Luna, please, no one cares about scorching scullawhatever anything. We just want to know about the family." Harry cut her off as he pinched the bridge of his nose; he was starting to get a headache.

"Well, to my disappointment they weren't guarding the scorching scullows. In fact, they didn't really know what she was guarding. They just knew that the family secret was bound by magic. They kept talking about how it was just her grandfather and her left in the family and if she doesn't get married soon, the bloodline will stop with her. Which is terribly sad, if you ask me." Luna said, indeed looking as though someone had told her extremely disheartening news.

"That's probably where the plant is then. So, we go to her and ask for it and come back." Draco said. "And if I'm to help you get this stupid plant, I want something out of it."

"Why don't you stop being a selfish prat, Malfoy?" Ron told him.

"Shut it, Weasley, I'm not talking to your poor arse now, am I?" Draco shot back at him, full of venom.

"What are you asking for?" Kingsley warily asked him.

"I want a house elf given to my mother since I won't be able to look after her." He said, looking Kingsley directly in the eye. "And I want to work in the Ministry-"

"Like bloody hell we'll allow a high and mighty arsehole like you working here!" Ron yelled.

"Ronald!" Hermione chastised him.

"Deal." Kingsley said suddenly, shocking everyone in the room.

"Re-really? You're not joking, are you?" Draco asked, unable to fathom the fact that Kingsley was actually agreeing to his conditions.

"No, I'm quite serious. You've proven yourself thus so far. I believe I can trust you enough to allow you to have a job in the Ministry after this mission. And I know how hard its been on your mother lately. If you betray us though, you're going to be banished from the wizarding world. You'll never see your mother again, I'll make sure of it. This plant is crucial to the magical folk. It will help with magical advances, especially if someone's mind has been tempered with. I've seen far too many cases where we have gotten stuck because a mind has been obliviated beyond repair." Kingsley said, looking at Draco solemnly. Draco had a look of hope in his eyes and the others took notice. Ron sat down in a fit, not wanting to seem like the immature one out of the group.

"So, let's begin next Monday? The sooner, the better." Harry asked, itching to get moving.

"Yes, I think that's for the best. Now that this information is out, it won't be long till someone tries to look for it, as well. The walls have ears, you know."

* * *

The plan was to tell everyone goodbye during the Weasley brunch on Sunday. They would spend the night at Hermione's and take a portkey early on Monday morning to Charlie's home.

Of course, they would be camping along the way. They decided not to stay at one place for too long, since they didn't want anyone to follow them or pick up their trail. They would make their way down to where Luna believed the family was residing, along with Charlie.

That was the only part Hermione was nervous about. Also, the fact that Kingsley asked her to partner with Draco, since she wouldn't be as biased as the others. Harry and Luna were partners – she noticed a cheerful pink tint go across Luna's cheeks once she was informed of this. Ron and Neville were very enthusiastic to be with one another. It was as if they were all back in school as teenagers and weren't in their early 20's.

She wondered if Draco was going to leave a permanent scowl on his face and she had to admit that she was thoroughly impressed he kept it up this long.

Once the meeting was through, she made a mental list of things she had to pack and prepare before they left.

"Man, I'm starving. Let's all get a late lunch, yeah?" Ron asked the group as the exited Kingley's office.

"I'm with you there, I didn't eat anything before we left." Neville agreed with his new partner. Harry agreed as well and asked Luna if she wanted to go. She gave a very enthusiastic answer, which made Harry smile.

Hermione turned around and faced the scowling Draco.

"Would you like to join us?" she asked, looking up at him. His scowl turned to shock. He was about to reject her offer, but figured that being seen with them could be a good thing for him and his mother.

"Well, since we need to learn to get along… Partner." He smirked at her. She was surprised, but didn't show it as she smiled at him. He walked next to her and could see Ron and Neville's unease at Draco coming, but they didn't say anything about it. Still, making them uneasy made his smirk grow bigger.

Ron decided on eating at a muggle restaurant, hoping to get some sort of reaction from Draco. But, Draco in turn gave him a wonderful suggestion for a muggle deli that Hermione knew about – making Ron red in the face. She giggled at his immature attempts and shared a smile with Draco, before they both realized how much they loathed each other and looked awkwardly away.

The group found themselves sitting in the corner. Harry and Luna were catching up, while Neville and Hermione were trying to list all of the plants that gave them troubles throughout the school year. Ron and Draco stared at the two with a mix of disgust and amazement.

"Do you remember the mandrakes?" he told her.  
"Oh Merlin, yes! Remember when you first saw them, how you fainted?" she snorted into her hand. He grinned at the memory.  
"I hit my butt on the way down and I got a pretty nasty scar from it, do you want to see?" he began to unbuckle his belt.

"Longbottom, you keep that buckle in tact or so help me Weasley and I will have a battle of who can regurgitate the most." Malfoy exclaimed making Hermione laugh even harder.

"Oh, come on, Malfoy. Can't you take a joke? Don't be so serious! Ron, stop looking like you don't know whether to kiss or smack him." She said, giving both of them a cheeky smile.

"Draco, what have you been doing these past five years?" Luna asked, making the others turn towards her.

"Me? Nothing really…" Malfoy said, averting her gaze.

"Yeah, I haven't even seen you…now that I think about it." Harry looked at him, trying to recount the last time he even saw a glance of the blonde. Draco had done a very good job at hiding the past few years, which was pretty suspicious to him.

"Well, not everyone can afford to prance around like they own the place, Potter."

"Funny, isn't that what you did during school?"

"Shut it."

"Stop acting like children, you don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Hermione assured Draco, while glaring at Harry. He opened his mouth to protest, but Draco cut him to the chase.

"If you all must know, I've been…working." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Working where?" asked Ron. Draco looked pained and couldn't stop staring at the floor.

"A department store." He said, a blush forming on his face.

"A department...? I don't know what store that is." Ron said, looking puzzled. Hermione and Harry stared at Draco in amazement.

"And I help out Kingsley, whenever he asks for it."

"What part of the store do you work in?" Hermione asked, intrigued by all of this.

"Well, I'm actually a manager now. But, I started out in the men's clothing department." He said, staring her in the face. Hermione wasn't sure how to take all this information.

"Why…Why do you work there?" Harry asked. Draco shifted his gaze towards Harry and engaged himself in a silent staring contest.

"Look, if we are going to be working together… I might as well be honest with you all. It's hard being the son of a Death Eater. You learn that no one will accept you for who you are, even though you don't hold the same views as your own father." He said bluntly, looking each of them in the face. "I had to sell most of my family heirlooms to keep me and my mother alive. It worked for about a year, but then she started to get sick. She was unable to even stand; her heart is in such a bad state. The Healers had tried their best, but even that is expensive. It is a mentality thing, I suppose. She is depressed. Some days, I can't even get her to look at me…" He trailed off, before looking Neville in the face.

"Do you think that plant could help her? Make her whole again?"

Neville looked at him. He never imagined Draco would be sitting in front of him, asking him his own opinion on something. It was unreal.

"I think it would be worth a shot and give it a try. The plant does help the mental state, from what I've read." He told him. Draco nodded at him and looked at Harry.

"After trying to find a job for a year, I had to resort to working for muggles. Kingsley set me up at the shop and he had a muggleborn wizard help teach me the ways of muggles so I wouldn't act out of place. I owe a lot to him."

The group all sat in silence until their meals got there. They ate in silence. What Draco told them was shocking and unsettling. None of them really thought about what happened to those who were on the other side of the war. The group was pretty well off for their age. They had each other for moral support and all of them had continued on to pursue good careers. They were able to cope with all that happened. But, Draco didn't have it that easy.

He had to learn to survive and survival consisted of him going a full 180 on his beliefs and what he had grown up learning. He had changed, maybe not his personality so much, but the way he thought and handled situations. Although, once a Slytherin always a Slytherin. He was ambitious and did whatever he could do to have some sort of belonging.

"I'll put in a recommendation for you, if you'd like." Harry said, breaking the silence. All of them were staring at their empty plates. Draco looked at him and nodded.

"I'd really appreciate that, mate. Thanks."

"Don't worry about it."

Ron turned to Draco to ask him about who he was rooting for in Quidditch and Hermione felt her eyes brim with tears.

* * *

Gregory Goyle worked at the ministry. Now, you may think that he has some sort of office job or something, right? Wrong. He was a common custodian, picking up shite that others drop all around. He hated his job. Hell, he hated his life. Everyone either thought he was a no good traitor or a bumbling idiot. All he ever asked for is to have a stable job so he can live a suitable life and not have people whispering about him behind his back. So far, he hasn't been successful.

Barely making rent on his own, he was forced to room with two others. The good thing about it was that they left him alone and he got his own bathroom. He was an optimistic person.

Not only was he optimistic, he was also a great listener. You may not realize that he's listening by the half-arsed expression on his face, but he was soaking up any bit of information that he could. When he heard his old four idiot classmates talking in the lift, he knew it was something important. Plus, he saw the way that bushy-haired bitch nodded her head in his direction to make them shut up. The ginger prat was going to say something about Romania, which was ironic because he knew other people who ran off to Romania. And it seems that they were looking for a plant or some shite like that?

'_It must have something to do with that stupid potion Theo was trying to look for.'_ Goyle concluded. Maybe that was what they were missing. He knew his old friends were struggling to gain a step of power after everything that happened and they figured looking for this potion recipe would be the easiest way. He couldn't fathom the terrible stories they told him, with this Noir guy. It didn't seem real to him, just another story. The potion was ideal, sure, but he didn't think it was safe to try and look for something that's been lost for ages. Goyle wanted something stable… something with security – he couldn't afford take risks. That's why he was a follower, not a leader.

He promised to keep an ear out, though. Now that he had something useful, maybe he could get involved. Maybe, he'll be able to do something that is worth his time besides picking up other people's shite and cleaning up their fucking messes. He smiled to himself at the thought of that. He had it in him to put two and two together. He was one step ahead this time.

* * *

**Oh snaaaaaaap! Thanks for reading ;) please review, too :3 **


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